Optimal exposure of a bottom surface of a substrate material and/or edges thereof for cleaning in a spin coating device

Abstract

A non-transitory medium includes instructions to control a spin coating device to render a cleaning nozzle of the spin coating device below a base plate and out of optimal exposure to a substrate material placed on a spin chuck when the base plate is engaged with the spin chuck. In response to disengagement of a lid from the base plate, the non-transitory medium also includes instructions to disengage the base plate from the spin chuck to lower the base plate to a locking point whereupon a portion of the cleaning nozzle below the base plate passes through a hole in the base plate and emerges completely out of and above the base plate, and instructions to clean the bottom surface and/or the edges of the substrate material utilizing the cleaning nozzle based on an optimal exposure to the bottom surface and the edges of the substrate material.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A spin coating system comprising:
 a sin coating device; 
 a data processing device communicatively coupled to the spin coating device; and 
 a non-transitory medium, readable through the data processing device and comprising instructions embodied therein that are executable through the data processing device, comprising instructions to control the spin coating device by performing a method comprising:
 controlling a base plate assembly of the spin coating device comprising a base plate and a plurality of locking pins; 
 controlling a spin chuck of the spin coating device on which a substrate material comprising a top surface coated with a film-forming substance and a bottom surface is placed, the spin chuck provided with a plurality of key slots corresponding to the plurality of locking pins of the base plate assembly; 
 engaging the plurality of locking pins of the base plate assembly with the plurality of key slots of the spin chuck such that the base plate synchronously spins along with the spin chuck with the coated substrate material, a cleaning nozzle of the spin coating device is rendered below the base plate and out of optimal exposure to the bottom surface of the substrate material and edges thereof, and the base plate is rendered completely under the spin chuck; 
 engaging a lid with the base plate of the spin coating device such that the lid synchronously co-rotates with the base plate during the synchronous spinning of the base plate along with the spin chuck; 
 in response to disengagement of the lid from the base plate:
 disengaging the plurality of locking pins of the base plate from the plurality of key slots of the spin chuck to lower the base plate such that the base plate is disengaged from the spin chuck and the spin chuck is free of the base plate; and 
 lowering the base plate to a locking point whereupon a portion of the cleaning nozzle below the base plate passes through a hole in the base plate and emerges completely out of and above the base plate such that the cleaning nozzle is optimally exposed to the bottom surface of the substrate material and the edges thereof; and 
 
 cleaning at least one of: the bottom surface of the substrate material and the edges thereof utilizing the cleaning nozzle based on the optimal exposure. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The spin coating system of  claim 1 , wherein the non-transitory medium comprises instructions to perform the method comprising engaging the base plate with the spin chuck and disengaging the base plate from the spin chuck using an actuator mechanism associated with an air cylinder that is:
 pressurized to enable the engagement of the base plate with the spin chuck based on movement of the base plate upward toward the spin chuck, and 
 released of pressure to enable the disengagement of the base plate from the spin chuck. 
 
     
     
       3. The spin coating system of  claim 2 , wherein the non-transitory medium comprises instructions to perform the method further comprising raising a sleeve around a spindle tube associated with the spin chuck based on the pressurization through the air cylinder to enable the movement of the base plate upward toward the spin chuck. 
     
     
       4. A spin coating system comprising:
 a spin coating device; 
 a data processing device communicatively coupled to the spin coating device; and 
 a non-transitory medium, readable through the data processing device and comprising instructions embodied therein that are executable through the data processing device, comprising instructions to control the spin coating device to perform a method comprising
 controlling a base plate assembly of the spin coating device, the base plate assembly comprising a base plate and a plurality of locking pins; 
 controlling a spin chuck of the spin coating device on which a substrate material comprising a top surface coated with a film-forming substance and a bottom surface is placed, the spin chuck provided with a plurality of key slots corresponding to the plurality of locking pins of the base plate assembly; 
 engaging, using an actuator mechanism, the plurality of locking pins of the base plate assembly with the plurality of key slots of the spin chuck such that-the base plate synchronously spins along with the spin chuck with the coated substrate material, a cleaning nozzle of the spin coating device is r below the base plate and out of optimal exposure to the bottom surface of the substrate material and edges thereof, and the base plate is rendered completely under the spin chuck; 
 engaging a lid with the base plate of the spin coating device such that the lid synchronously co-rotates with the base plate during the synchronous spinning of the base plate along with the spin chuck; 
 through the actuator mechanism and in response to disengagement of the lid from the base plate:
 disengaging the plurality of locking pins of the base plate from the plurality of key slots of the spin chuck to lower the base plate such that the base plate is disengaged from the spin chuck and the spin chuck is free of the base plate; and 
 lowering the base plate to a locking point whereupon a portion of the cleaning nozzle below the base plate passes through a hole in the base plate and emerges completely out of and above the base plate such that the cleaning nozzle is optimally exposed to the bottom surface of the substrate material and the edges thereof; and 
 
 cleaning at least one of: the bottom surface of the substrate material and the edges thereof utilizing the cleaning nozzle based on the optimal exposure. 
 
 
     
     
       5. The spin coating system of  claim 4 , wherein the non-transitory medium comprises instructions to perform the method further comprising utilizing an air cylinder associated with the actuator mechanism that is:
 pressurized to enable the engagement of the base plate with the spin chuck based on movement of the base plate upward toward the spin chuck, and 
 released of pressure to enable the disengagement of the base plate from the spin chuck. 
 
     
     
       6. The spin coating system of  claim 5 , wherein the non-transitory medium comprises instructions to perform the method further comprising raising a sleeve around a spindle tube associated with the spin chuck based on the pressurization through the air cylinder to enable the movement of the base plate upward toward the spin chuck. 
     
     
       7. A spin coating system comprising:
 a spin coating device; 
 a data processing device communicatively coupled to the spin coating device; and 
 a non-transitory medium, readable through a data processing device and comprising instructions embodied therein that are executable through the data processing device, comprising instructions to control the spin coating device by performing a method comprising:
 controlling in the spin coating device, a base plate assembly comprising a base plate and a plurality of locking pins; 
 controlling a spin chuck of the spin coating device on which a substrate material comprising a top surface coated with a film-forming substance and a bottom surface is placed, the spin chuck provided with a plurality of key slots corresponding to the plurality of locking pins of the base plate assembly; 
 engaging the plurality of locking pins of the base plate assembly with the plurality of key slots of the spin chuck such that the base plate synchronously spins along with the spin chuck with the coated substrate material, an Edge Bead Removal (EBR) nozzle of the spin coating device is rendered below the base plate and out of optimal exposure to the bottom surface of the substrate material and edges thereof, and the base plate is rendered completely under the spin chuck; 
 engaging a lid with the base plate of the spin coating device such that the lid synchronously co-rotates with the base plate during the synchronous spinning of the base plate along with the spin chuck; 
 in response to disengagement of the lid from the base plate:
 disengaging the plurality of locking pins of the base plate from the plurality of key slots of the spin chuck to lower the base plate such that the base plate is disengaged from the spin chuck and the spin chuck is free of the base plate; and 
 lowering the base plate to a locking point whereupon a portion of the EBR nozzle below the base plate passes through a hole in the base plate and emerges completely out of and above the base plate such that the EBR nozzle is optimally exposed to the bottom surface of the substrate material and the edges thereof; and 
 
 cleaning at least one of: the bottom surface of the substrate material and the edges thereof utilizing the EBR nozzle based on the optimal exposure. 
 
 
     
     
       8. The medium spin coating system of  claim 7 , wherein the non-transitory medium comprises instructions to perform the method comprising engaging the base plate with the spin chuck and disengaging the base plate from the spin chuck using an actuator mechanism associated with an air cylinder that is:
 pressurized to enable the engagement of the base plate with the spin chuck based on movement of the base plate upward toward the spin chuck, and 
 released of pressure to enable the disengagement of the base plate from the spin chuck. 
 
     
     
       9. The spin coating system of  claim 8 , wherein the non-transitory medium comprises instructions to perform the method further comprising raising a sleeve around a spindle tube associated with the spin chuck based on the pressurization through the air cylinder to enable the movement of the base plate upward toward the spin chuck.